Salt or car wash?

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Sunder92

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So, I live in Michigan and for anyone that lives around here, you know how bad our winters are. Lots of ice, snow and salt.

I'm just curious, which is more harmful to the car? Going through a car wash or leaving salt on your car for a extended period of time?
 
I think it would be in the best interest to take it to a coin car wash but only using the wand , no brushes.
 
Providing you don't have any bare metal, the car wash with brushes will do much more harm. A touchless car wash would be a much better choice.
 
The salt is more harmful in the long term so I would just go through a touchless car wash or a coin op where you can power wash most of it off and then wash at home.
 
Car wash is more harmful in my opinion as most of us will have a nice coat of wax/sealant on their car to protect the finish from the salt. However, nothing is going to protect the finish from the debris and dirt thats on the brushes and towels that the car washes use.
 
c8n said:
Car wash is more harmful in my opinion as most of us will have a nice coat of wax/sealant on their car to protect the finish from the salt. However, nothing is going to protect the finish from the debris and dirt thats on the brushes and towels that the car washes use.
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Do you wax and seal under you car? That's the area that will be most affected.
 
I am convince that there is something in the "High Pressure Foam" at my coin-op that eats LSP's; including my Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant.
 
Thanks for the input, everyone. I was really tempted to just go through a carwash because my car was so dirty.

The coin operated ones are all frozen over.

I might just use my turtle wax no rinse tomorrow since it'll be 20 degrees (highest it's been in a while)
 
HateSwirls said:
I think it would be in the best interest to take it to a coin car wash but only using the wand , no brushes.
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Yes, exactly. :xyxthumbs:

I used to do that or touchless in the winter when I lived up north.
 
Sunder92 said:
Thanks for the input, everyone. I was really tempted to just go through a carwash because my car was so dirty.

The coin operated ones are all frozen over.

I might just use my turtle wax no rinse tomorrow since it'll be 20 degrees (highest it's been in a while)
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If you car has a lot of abrasives on it (sand, salt, etc), I would strongly recommend rinsing off the heavy stuff before doing a rinse less!
 
allenk4 said:
I am convince that there is something in the "High Pressure Foam" at my coin-op that eats LSP's; including my Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant.
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That's why using just water is best, it will knock off most of it.

Just spray it down and wait a few mins then spray again.

I don't use the soap unless I plan on waxing it or at least a spray wax once I get it home.

Using the soap on the undercarriage and wheel wells is fine though.
 
Sunder92 said:
Thanks for the input, everyone. I was really tempted to just go through a carwash because my car was so dirty.

The coin operated ones are all frozen over.

I might just use my turtle wax no rinse tomorrow since it'll be 20 degrees (highest it's been in a while)
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I live in FL and the rain has messed up my black car .. and its cold .. highs in the 50s only .. and I am cringing to wash my car outside. Living in FL has made me a wuss :-(
 
If you use touchless washes on your black car - you will get water spots. Because, you can't really dry it there. Just leave it until you can wash correctly. More harm than good is done with half way measures.
 
fljoemon said:
I live in FL and the rain has messed up my black car .. and its cold .. highs in the 50s only .. and I am cringing to wash my car outside. Living in FL has made me a wuss :-(
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Oh man, 50-60 would be perfect weather for washing cars up here. Not too hot, not too cold. Heck, I'd even take 40!
 
Year after year, I have been negotiating a bulk purchase of touchless wash codes and take my ride through weekly. Wash and underbody flush gets the salt off and keeps the rust away. I take the car home and do a QD and a D156 in the garage and the car is shiny, with no water spots and beads water like mad throughout the winter season.
 
swanicyouth said:
If you use touchless washes on your black car - you will get water spots. Because, you can't really dry it there. Just leave it until you can wash correctly. More harm than good is done with half way measures.
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What about rinseless wash? I don't think I will be able to properly wash it until mid spring, since Michigan likes to extend its winters into late spring.
 
Sunder92 said:
What about rinseless wash? I don't think I will be able to properly wash it until mid spring, since Michigan likes to extend its winters into late spring.
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IMHO the best way in the winter is to pressure wash the car, then immediately do a rinseless wash, using a waterless for extra lube (since car will be wet)
 
Zepp is the #1 supplier of chemicals for automatic and coin-up washes. My buddy owns the one up the street. I watch him fill the "magic foam" containers. And yes, they will strip lsp's quicker than you can pump in quarters. But sometimes you gotta do what you have to do. Road salt has additional chemicals added which makes it even worse. Anything that will corrode undercarriages has to be just swell on paint.
 
I'm in the teens here in Levittown and I have major salt deposits my car.
What I wouldn't give for a co op garage with a drain!

I'm considering a local pro detail wash - it should cost less than a AG order.
 
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